Nature trip in Arizona Part 3: Lower Antelope Canyon

The previous post in this series is here..

After we were dropped off at the tour operator office for Upper Antelope canyon, we walked as fast as we could to our rental car that had been baking in the parking lot, and made a dash to the office for Lower Antelope canyon tours. 

When we went to check in, the tour was just about to start. Good thing I dropped off the ladies to find parking. By the time I made it to the office, the tour started. After walking a 100 feet with the group realized that my iPhone was missing. The tour guide said "sir, if you leave the group now, you cannot join again!". In two minds the whole time, tried to put the iPhone off my head and decided to enjoy the tour with the SLR.

Did take a few photos with San's phone. Fortunately it had just dropped below the bags in the trunk. So all was well. 

The lower antelope canyon looks even more amazing because you wouldn't expect a small gap on a rock side to open into such an amazing place! 

This one is even more mind boggling than the upper canyon. The features look the same but the colors and swirls and light show within the canyon walls is amazing. The paths are also a lot more narrower at places and you are better off watching your head at all times!

No video for this tour.. but plenty of pictures. The tourguide and SIL became art directors and we ended up doing a lot of posing, to add to the fun!

Nature galleries..

We walked back to the car. The guide was telling us about the one plant that grows everywhere in the area that the Indians use as morning tea and herbal supplement for all ailments!

We took a short break at the tour office and took pictures in front of the murals..we had not had a break for food or restroom since leaving the hotel in the morning. 

They were all smiles after the tour.. This was just for the photo. We were glad to make it back to the hotel room to finish the leftover idlis, tamarind rice and thayir sadam that was waiting for us in the fridge.

No wonder the kids refused to come with us on tours these days. The very sight of those tamarind rice, idly and thayir sadam packets makes them run.. it is just a question of time before they pack the same thing and drag their kids along to national parks..

Strongly recommend the lower antelope canyon if you go to this area. Do NOT miss it! Given a choice of either canyon, pick this one.. 

We had one more tour for the day.. that in the next post!

Nature trip in Arizona Part 2 : Upper Antelope Canyon

The previous post on this series is here..

After reaching Page, Arizona and having a good nights rest, we were ready to see the main attraction.

We reached the tour company office and checked in. There were going to be half a dozen full open vehicles that were going to leave at the same time. 

They started promptly. My promise to make this trip a safe one for San's already bad back was broken within the first 10 minutes of this open vehicle ride to the canyon entrance. It was so bumpy that folks with normal backs would get back problems! She just tightened her belt. There wasn't much we could do.

We see a small crack in the mountain side and it is hard to believe that this crack winds around for a good 1/2 a mile through some breathtaking formations! 

The tour guide was wonderful. We told her that we were to be on time finishing as there was another tour we had to be on and she understood. She told us it would be touch and go. Usually people book the Lower and upper canyon tours on two separate days as there is no chance for. a lunch break between.

Given this post is going up after 4th of July when it happened during Memorial day, a lot of things slip my mind. A few things I remember are that the rocks looked orange to yellow to red depending on the reflecting sun from the top. I didn't want to adjust the white balance. So what you see is mostly what it looked like.. including the red glow on our faces inside the canyon!

The walk is leisurely but watch for your head. All of us bumped our head in some point or another during the walk and it was painful. 

First the video highlights..

Here are some people pictures.. 

The entrance to the canyon..

As soon as we entered.. 

The rest of the canyon photos need a large gallery.. there were 2000 photos from the iPhone and SLR that needed some curating..

The photos below were courtesy of our tourguide... 

 

Saw a little cave and thought it would be a good idea to take a photo in a meditative pose.. bad idea. those things next to me .. tumbleweed full of thorns.. sat on some that were burried in the sand and got my fingers bloodied trying to move them away. End up being a real meditative photo where I tried to forget the sharp pain for the photo! Shit we do for a good picture.. sometimes these moments teach us great lessons!

another gallery with pictures in portrait format..

There may be a few photos from lower antelope that are mixed in (very few).. My sincere apologies.. if you go visit Antelope canyon, you should visit both the upper and lower antelope canyonsa and budget enough time.

You can skip the lunch, start with upper canyon, rush to tour company place and drive immediately to the lower canyon tour starting point. Give yourself 20 minutes. You can also call the lower canyon tour folks while driving to just wait a minute or two.. That helps! Then you can do the two tours back to back and have a late lunch at 2 PM or later!

Please note that the two tours are operated by two different companies and they don't care about the other schedule. If you want to do this peacefully, budget two different days for these two tours!

Will write a separate post for the lower canyon.. 

3 Shoes 1 Chappal - A happy ordeal

A month ago, there was a planned hike in Yosemite. Three days before the hike, San tore a back muscle and was in ER. So there was a "veri" to get back and do that hike. The replacement day was yesterday (without knowing there was a Cricket world cup final that India would play in!). Then again, permits are permits and plans are plans.

 So four of us started at 4:45AM and made it to Yosemite non stop. Given I was driving this time, wanted to be "comfy" and went in my chappals. Once we parked at the trailhead and everyone went to change to their hiking shoes, there was a horrible realization. My shoes were left at home! They did not make it to the car. 

There was a palpable disappointment on the faces of my fellow hikers and San turned into a navarasa nayagi that would have made Padmini give her a pat on the back. Me... I was just sad to let them down like this.

A decision was made that I would hike to all the waterfalls as planned in my chappal and if at any point it gave way or my feet became a problem, I would make it back to the van and sit out the rest of the hikes.

The first hike was to Wapoma falls on the side of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. It was a six mile round trip. The Bata chappals made it. Even led the way on the return without stopping so as to not let the group down. 

When Chappals become shoes, rocks can become benches!

 

Started this hike at 8:45 and came back at Noon. Then we drove towards Vernal falls. Took us an hour to get there and another 20 minutes to find parking. Started hiking at 1:30 PM and the plan was to see how Mr. Bata does at the top of Vernal and make a call to go to Nevada or turn back and go to Bridalveil on the way out. 

Some pictures from this hike..

Nature picture galleries..

portrait format photos.. 

THis was the first photo from the reservoir.. the still water and the reflections were motivation enough for me to keep walking!

San's smiling face was added motivation. She had calmed down and decided to temporarily forgive me till the return journey. . . it was like being granted bail. Gladly accepted that.

No shoes does have its advantages when trying Yoga poses on rocks, but that is about it for advantages

Wapoma falls is awesome! Glad we made it this time..

It was not easy to hike up Vernal as it was wet and slippery with the mist. At one point just went barefoot which was better! We got treated to amazing views and thoroughly enjoyed the waterfalls.

We had seen a dead snake on the Wapoma trail which started a discussion about my open feet. It was decided that hiking shoes might not make a difference and I could always use the slippers in my hand as a defense mehchanism.. 

we saw a live snake on the Vernal trail and there were no jokes this time. Just glad to have not stepped on this one! Bata might protect your feet from the ground, but not this. 

this would be a good place for a bench.. that was my thought.. might be iced out most of the year.. still..

The rainbows created by the mist were just amazing!

The next picture is nothing special.. but has an inside joke for our family.. it is left in this post as a memory jogger..

Saw a group of desi kids from Mountain View posing with an Indian flag. They told us India had won the game. Thanked them for that update as we had no cell signal since 9AM! The flag was borrowed and a photo was taken! 

By the time we made it back down it was already close to 5PM. So we decided to drive and do the very short walk to Bridalveil falls and then drive out. Bridalveil did not disappoint. Just enough water to be amazing and not get us drenched. 

Folks came up to me and said "that was cool what you did on that rock".. for once San didn't scream when I tried balancing on one leg on a rock.. 

The BYSJ 60 day challenge got a lot of talk time on trails is my guess.. which reminds me that it starts again tomorrow!!! 

Had some well deserved tea and started driving back. Managed to drive the last 2 hours of the return once the feet calmed down. 

Here is a video highlights reel..

Friends make everything special!!!

The feet are pretty roughed up from the walking in sandals and being barefoot but did not let the group down!

Call me waterfall crazy all you want. Happy to be just that!